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Lenoir-Rhyne University senior outfielder Ivan Vieitez has been named to the 2014 All-South Atlantic Conference Baseball Preseason First Team, league officials announced this afternoon.

In addition, the Bears were voted eighth in the preseason coaches poll. Catawba, last year's conference regular season champion, was picked to repeat. Catawba (36-16) is ranked No. 24 in the NCAA Division II Collegiate Baseball Newspaper national poll. The Indians received nine out of the possible 11 first-place votes.

Last year, the Bears finished with a record of 21-29 overall including a 12-15 mark in league play. Lenoir-Rhyne finished seventh in the conference standings as well.

Vieitez, a native of Miami, Fla., led the Bears in several offensive categories last spring including batting average (.361), runs scored (40), hits (65), triples (six), home runs (seven), slugging percentage (.600), total bases (108) and stolen bases (14).

As the team's top reliever as well, Vieitez finished with a 4-1 record with a pair of saves and 27 strikeouts. For his efforts, Vieitez earned First-Team All-SAC and All-State honors in 2013.

Lenoir-Rhyne, under first-year Head Coach Tom Fleenor, opens the 2014 season on Saturday, February 1, against North Greenville in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m., at Bears Field.